Nintendo Switch Will Finally Get a Video App But Only in Japan

When smartphones could do so much, it was disappointing to see the Nintendo Switch launch with few games and hardly any video streaming app.

The phones are always there as your backup but the handheld console makes a great gaming device on the go. Going by its trend, most gamers wondered it would be much better if it had some sort of video app to play videos, maybe Netflix and support for Spotify. The company known for its strict policies is definitely not going to change their ways all of a sudden. After all they are not the Xbox owned by Microsoft that had become more of a PC now right? With all the features and more than what you could ask for.

Finally, the developers have given into peer pressure or maybe they had this planned already. The Nintendo Switch is getting a video app which will be exclusively only to Japan right now. A lot of such exclusives have never made its way to the US or Europe because Sony, Nintendo loves to keep their Japanese audience happier than their Western counterparts. But, it does confirm the fact that the console could handle videos and a hacker could soon find a solution for those who don’t have the said app yet.

NicoNico platform is the so-called video app which will soon hit the Nintendo Switch eShop in Japan. Once you download the app, you will be able to play games and watch videos wherever you go on a large beautiful display (not the best resolution though). However, it has also been confirmed that in case you have managed to bag a Japanese account, you can log in to the eShop to download this app without having to hack your console to run it.

Nintendo’s executive Reggie Fils did announce that they have plans to work with Netflix, Hulu and Amazon to get those major streaming services on the Switch consoles. For a long time, the company talks about associating with third parties but all they do is focus on their decades old Mario, Donkey Kong and Zelda but never goes way beyond that. So far, the strategy had proven to be effective because of the exclusivity it offers and it is to be seen how inferior hardware with limited features would shine in the future when the next Xbox and the PS5 console would launch.